The Joy of Community Cooking
You know the kitchen is waking up when
you hear the steady thump of the lesong and
clash of the chopper against a wooden board. If pork ribs are being chopped, loud,
irregular thuds are produced. If shallots are being diced, you will hear instead
a quieter, hynoptic drumming. And there is always a cadence that rings from the
sharpening of knives
Yes, sounds of the kitchen are music to
my ears. I grew up with them.
For all the glories of music, you cannot
smell it. Here is where the kitchen experience is a multi-sensory one. The
melody of lemon grass, shallots, mint and turmeric being pounded turns the
kitchen into a cornucopia of scents. When the rempah is simmering, you can
smell it from your bedroom. When the prawn noodle broth is being brewed, the
smells waft down the street – and into the nostrils of your neighbours.
And then, there were the sounds people. I
have very fond memories of my Mum and aunties in the kitchen. Laughters. Gossips.
Requests.
As the youngest in the kitchen, I had to
stay alert to instructions at all times. “Ah Choong this and Ah Choong that,”
the bowl needs to be washed. Leaves need to be separated from stems. Prawns
need to be shelled. The tables need to be wiped. The food in the wok needs to
be tossed. The herbs in the lesong need to be pounded. All the tasks were
simple, requiring little skill - but here was where I was first schooled on
home cooking, almost unconsicously. The food on the table starts with the lesong
on the kitchen floor. Indeed, kitchen enculturation is the best way to
pick up food preparation and cooking skills.
I have a chance today to relive community
cooking in the churches I have served as a pastor. I enjoyed cooking with the
Food Ministry folks at St James’ Church, where I served for 14 years. Lucy
Kwok, a colleague and close family friend, is a joy to cook with. I have learnt
from her, along with other housewives, some finer points to cooking I was
previously unaware of. Humility is the key to learning and cooking tips can be
had in spades when you are cooking with other cooks.
We enjoyed the experience of cooking for
large groups, for special occasions and events such as The Alpha Course. In busy
Singapore, catering ("outsourcing") is often necessary but it is
great to rally those who are passionate about home-cooking together to do
something for the community. Passion is contagious – through the process, we
have learnt a lot and had a lot of fun. Cooking for a large group is hard work but
it is always satisfying to see others enjoying your food. A cook, like any
artist, needs an audience. It was our privilege to have an appreciative one.
When I was posted to St Andrew’sCathedral, my experience of community cooking continued in earnest. I was amazed
at the skill and passion of many members from a variety of ethnic backgrounds
when it came to the kitchen. Apart from local cuisine, we have also enjoyed cooking
and enjoying Sri Lankan, Korean and Indian meals together. My Korean friends
are amazed by Nasi Ulam. In turn, we are amazed at her pickled Kim Chi. My Sri
Lankan members whips up some amazing vegetable dishes, cooking it patiently in
small batches, resulting in a perfect texture which is hard to achieve in commercial
cooking. Undoubtedly, anonymous home cooks are the true celebrities of any
cuisine.
I have discovered that home-cooks love
to share their cooking with others. Some are reticent about introducing their “humble”
home-cooked dishes to the wider community, and need encouragement to do so. But
once confidence is gained and joy experienced, there is no turning back.
I would love to see many churches and
other communities in Singapore rediscovering the joy of community, gathered
around a simple home-cooked spread. Here is an important part of our culture
and heritage to retain, amidst trends of commercialisation, globalisation and
“Michelinisation” of our food heritage.
